What Rain Barrels Can Do

These rain barrels were painted by local artists for the “Rain Barrel Reveal ’07”, an awareness-builder and fundraising event sponsored by JRBP with SRAC. Using their talents, these artists transformed these plain barrels into works of art.

Rain barrels are one of the easiest ways individuals can make a difference in the quality of our waterways. It sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Rain falls on your property, and where it can, it soaks into the ground. That water helps recharge the water table, but the rest of the water runs off your roof, your driveway, your sidewalk, etc. It goes straight into the gutters or ditches, down the storm drain and into the river. (For more about storm drains, click here.)

All of that water at once can create a bunch of problems. One problen is erosion. The added volume of water has a lot of force, and can move soil from the banks, into the river, choking the invertebrates that live between the rocks. Another big problem is pollution. The water that runs off the surfaces in the city carries with it pet waste, fertilizer, pesticides, road dust, debris, and a host of other things that can turn the river into a toxic mess.

Rain barrels can help keep some of the water out of the river by capturing it before it runs off the property. Not only that, but the captured water can be used for many purposes: gardening, washing cars, watering lawns, to name a few.

There is nothing new about rain barrels, this is old technology, rediscovered. Rain barrels were once used to collect and save water. Everyone had them. Whenever anyone needed some water, they could get it from the barrel. Modern technology made them unnecessary, it's just so much easier to get water from the hose or faucet.

But the water from the hose or faucet comes from our limited supply of water for everything. And that water has to be filtered before it reaches your home, so there is a lot of resources and energy spent on this modern convenience.

With growing concern over our limited resources, rising water bills, and increased volume of run-off from cities, the rain barrel is making a comeback. Consider installing a rain barrel this spring. Attach one to the downspout of your house and watch the barrel fill with free, usable water!